Duane Parker's 13th professional victory in Birmingham last night (February 28) has set him up for title action before the summer.
The measured Woodville light-middleweight negotiated his toughest-looking test to date, soundly out-boxing Leicester's dangerous, older, bigger and always-willing Simon Fleck over eight tough rounds.
Referee Shaun Messer, who officiated throughout, marked Parker (pictured) a 78-75 winner.
Fleck, who once held handy Carl Drake to an eight-round draw, has seen better days but with 15 pro fights behind him (five wins and a draw, one stoppage) and an eight-year age advantage he was always likely to cause problems to a tall, improving stylist whose work off the jab has seen him concede only nine rounds out of a possible 74 since he made his paid bow in 2007.
Errol Johnson-trained Parker conceded four pounds in weight to the East Midlander (11st 3lbs to 11st 7lbs) but sharp, accurate punches kept him a step ahead, forcing Fleck to try and bore his way in an attempt to rough the former Burton ABC ace up on the inside.
But the unbeaten prospect stuck to what he knew best throughout the 16-minute contest and was delighted with win 13 from 13.
"I was pleased with my performance," said the blonde-haired 23-year-old from Derbyshire. "He was a tough, strong lad who kept coming forward.
"He tried to talk to me when things got close, egging me on to stand there and trade with him. But i stuck to my boxing and thought i won comfortably in the end.
"It was just the fight i needed before going on to longer distances."
And now there's talk of Duane meeting undefeated stablemate Jamie Ball, who captured the vacant Midland Area 11st strap with an eight-round KO victory over A.A. Lowe on Saturday night in Walsall.
Parker watched on from ringside for that fight and has no fear in meeting the Coseley southpaw, 11-0-1 (2), adding: "I watched him [Ball] on Saturday and, to be honest, i thought he boxed well against a tough lad who came to win.
"It would be a great fight for the Midlands - two unbeaten lads going at it for the title. That said, i'm confident of beating him and it would be great if it could happen in Burton."
But there was disaster for another ex-Burton ABC favourite, reigning British Masters super-middleweight champion Jonjo Finnegan, on Pat Cowdell's three-bout dinner show at Birmingham's Holiday Inn last night.
Finnegan was being lined up to headline a bumper bill in Burton in April but slipped to a shocking five-round stoppage defeat to Derby's unheralded Elvis Dube, who registered only his second win (both via the short route) in eight fights.
The 30-year-old former Irish title challenger controlled the majority of the action until Shinfield-handled Dube stepped on the pressure in the fifth and sent the Burton-based boxer tumbling to the canvas after a combination of solid-looking punches, leaving Mr Messer with no alternative but to stop matters with seven seconds left of the penultimate session.
Now 13-6-3, Finnegan's latest setback could raise serious questions over his future involvement in the sport.
Both were 12st 4lbs.
Derby's Luke Gallear (11st), who lost to headliner Parker in a cracking six-rounder two years ago, leveled his record up at 3-3-1 with a 59-55 six-twos points nod over Midlands-born, Wales-based gypsy hardman Billy Smith (10st 8lbs), a former Midland Area champion at 10st.
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